


Congratulations

by HerBreakingHeart



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Angst and Feels, Bisexual Female Character, F/F, Previous SwanFire, Smoking, Unhealthy Relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-26
Updated: 2017-12-01
Packaged: 2019-02-07 04:55:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12833757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HerBreakingHeart/pseuds/HerBreakingHeart
Summary: "Congratulations." She jumped, startled, whipping around to see a painfully familiar brunette lounging against the balcony. Regina gave her a half smile, but it looked so strained that it hurt to look at it."What… what are you…""What am I doing here?" She finished for her, raising her eyebrow, "Fair question, I suppose. Seeing how I wasn't invited after all."





	1. Chapter 1

The glass door slid closed behind her and Emma let out a relieved sigh.

"Congratulations." She jumped, startled, whipping around to see a painfully familiar brunette lounging against the balcony. Regina gave her a half smile, but it looked so strained that it hurt to look at it.

"What… what are you…"

"What am I doing here?" She finished for her, raising her eyebrow, "Fair question, I suppose. Seeing how I wasn't invited after all." An awkward silence hung between them.

Emma swallowed nervously, "I'm just surprised that's all. You scared me." Regina chuckled, turning her back on her to face the sprawling view of New York. The night sky was a deep navy blue, spotlit by the neon lights of the city.

"I always had a habit of doing that, didn't I? Making you feel uneasy." Emma's face flushed red.

"Stop it." Regina's shoulders shook as she laughed.

"Stop what, darling? I'm simply reminiscing." There was an edge to her voice, that told both of them she was completely aware of what she was doing, and it sent a shiver down Emma's spine. Time away from her hadn't changed just how much Regina affected her, though she'd hate to admit it.

"Oh, is that why you're here then?" Emma spat, "To relive the past? Because I'm not interested." She watched with hawk eyes as the wind gently swayed Regina's hair. Every movement would catch her eye - this woman was a panther, and it was in her best interest to keep her gaze on her at all times.

"Not at all." Emma could picture her smirk perfectly, a mischievous tilt of those full lips that promised trouble she would never be ready for. "Like I said, I just came to give you my congrats."

"Like you ever gave me anything without it biting me in the ass." Regina whirled around, her jaw clenched.

"You know I did." The two women glared at each other, the sounds of the party inside faint to their ears. Emma saw the spark of anger in Regina's eyes, and a small stab of guilt found its way to her heart. The thrill of making the other woman lose control, however, drowned it out.

Emma looked away first, wrapping her arms around herself, "You shouldn't have come." She heard Regina scoff.

"Now, now. Surely you know me better, Emma? How could I resist a party as wild and entertaining as this? I'm a sucker for free alcohol." She paused, and then said somewhat more quietly, as if she knew she shouldn't be saying it, "Plus, you're here. That's always a bonus."

Emma chose to ignore the last bit, "You shouldn't drink too much." she scolded instead, "Who knows where you might end up one morning? It's dangerous."

Regina came slightly closer towards her, leaning against one of the deckchairs. Her dark eyes sparkled. "Now I know you care that much, I might just make into a habit. Then you can come in and save me like my very own knight in shining armour." She licked her lips and Emma rolled her eyes.

"Oh jesus, not already? No wonder you're saying all this shit." The other woman shook her head, grinning.

"I do believe it's only just started to kick in. Works wonders when it does though." Regina winked, holding up a flask and rattling it. It sounded close to empty and Emma scowled.

"Give me that, you idiot." She walked right up to Regina, making a grab for it but the brunette held it just out of her reach. Emma could smell the vodka on her breath. "Don't be like that, darling. This is the happiest I've felt in ages!"

Emma frowned, "You don't mean that." She tried to snatch it again, but to no avail.

Regina gave her a sad smile, "I've been a wreck. Though I probably would never tell you that if I was in my right mind." She laughed. "In fact, I wouldn't even be here if I was in my right mind."

Emma stopped struggling and patiently held out her hand, "Well, prove to me that you can be and just hand it over. Then I promise we can talk." Regina gazed at her silently, her complicated gaze so steady that Emma thought for a split second that this was all a stupid prank and Regina was completely sober and she'd start laughing at her. But instead, the other woman handed the flask over.

Emma shoved it in her back pocket quickly. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw her water bottle resting against the wall from where she'd left it the other day. Grabbing it, she made her way back over to the table sitting opposite Regina on the other deckchair.

"Here, drink this." she advised, and Regina took it without a word, swallowing several gulps.

She put it on the table, and both women resumed an uncomfortable silence.

"So," Emma began, "you've been a wreck?"

Regina looked far less happy now, and that closed-off expression that Emma knew so well was starting to take shape. "Maybe, maybe not." She took more gulps of the water. Emma watched, guessing what she was trying to do: to regain some kind of control in the situation, to try and get herself sober so she wouldn't make herself vulnerable again.

"We haven't spoken. If I'd have known-"

"You would've what? Why should you care about my miserable life when you have all of this?" she gestured to the glass sliding door, when the party from the inside could be seen: disco strobe lights, people dancing.

Emma sighed, "A break from all of this is pleasant sometimes, you know." Regina rolled her eyes, drinking more of the water.

"Like hell. We both know you love it. You've finally got the life you've always wanted." The bitterness in her voice was undeniable.

"For your information, I'd never thought I'd get…" she faltered off.

"Engaged? Is that the word you're looking for?" Emma glared at her.

"Sometimes you just don't when to grow up, do you?"

"Oh, please. You're the one that's trying to force yourself into adult life, despite how obvious it is that you're clearly not ready for it." Regina hissed at her, holding the water bottle tightly.

"Of course I'm ready. Just because you're not used to how much I've changed. How much I've moved on." The last bit was meant to get another reaction out of her but Regina just laughed.

"Who's reminiscing now? Thinking of those fun-filled years, Emma?" The blonde was silent. "How much shit we got ourselves into, but how exhilarating it was? Do you remember that cheap, old apartment we used all our savings on, where we lived and fu-"

"Enough." Emma cut in abruptly, "We were clueless teenagers. We didn't know anything. We were in way over our heads."

"We were in love." Regina said, her voice cool and steady. "All the shit that happened afterwards doesn't change that." Slowly, Emma nodded.

"Yes, I know." Regina almost looked surprised then, like she hadn't expected Emma to agree with her. "But it does change who we now are as people. We're different from those two girls that didn't have a care in the world except each other."

"You might be." Regina said so quietly, that Emma just about heard her. She scowled and took several large more gulps of water. Clearing her throat, Regina smirked, "I'd call you a runaway bride but it's a bit too early for that. Why aren't you attending your own engagement party?"

Emma bit her lip, dropping the other woman's gaze, "It got a bit crowded. I just wanted to get some air." Regina snorted.

"It is a party. Crowds are expected, I least, I think they are." Emma sighed loudly, feeling more annoyed at herself than anything. Of course Regina wouldn't believe her. She knew her too well.

"I guess so. It's just…" She stopped herself. "Nevermind." To her surprise, Regina didn't prolong the topic any further.

"Ok then." There was a rustle and Emma looked up to see the other woman casually lighting a cigarette. The sight brought back memories so painful that Emma barely had the heart to scold her.

"You know I don't like that." she said quietly. Regina watched her, eyes glinting in the near-dark. The brunette's lips stretched into a sly grin around the cigarette, and Emma's eyes were helplessly drawn towards them. She remembered kissing those lips a long time ago, breathing in the toxic air they emitted like it was the only thing keeping her alive. She remembered burying her hands in those deep brown curls, only they'd been much messier. She remembered gazing into those dark eyes until she fell asleep.

She remembered when all of that changed forever.

With a chuckle, Regina took a long, slow drag of it, her eyes never leaving Emma like it was a challenge. She blew smoke lightly in her face, and smirked when the blonde wrinkled her nose. "Oh, shut up. You were just as addicted as me, once upon a time."

"Not really." Emma said with more strength, "I only smoked to impress you."

Regina laughed again, but this time it was with less humour behind it. Her eyes were sharper and Emma knew she'd struck a nerve. "Liar. I could tell you fucking loved it." Red flag. When Regina's swearing started to get worse, it meant she was getting angry. It was a warning but all Emma felt was a twisted sense of pride.

"Only because I loved you." She leaned forward on her elbows, "I changed many things about myself for you, Regina. Too many."

"Oh, and I suppose you're free to be yourself with that drunkard with the missing hand?" The other woman spat.

"His name is Killian." Emma said coolly, "And I don't know why you're even judging. Who's wasted ass came to my house?"

Regina scowled at her. "You're hiding behind him." she snarled, "You've lost what made you brave and strong. Far from the Emma I remember."

Emma slowly stood up, trying to keep her face as composed as possible. "I think it's time for you to leave. Now."

The brunette scoffed, "How predictable." She got up from the chair, taking another drag from her cigarette. The water bottle was left lying on the table. Regina turned to face Emma, eyes bright, "You're putting those walls back up, darling. Say what you want about what we used to have, but you never had to hide."

Emma's expression didn't change. "Goodbye Regina."

"Goodbye Miss Swan." And she walked past Emma, striding back into the house and shutting the door loudly behind her.

Emma sank back into her chair, finally allowing the tears she'd been holding in to rush down down her face. Goodbye Miss Swan.

Those were the last few words Regina had said to her as well, all those years ago. When Emma had had enough, and had walked out on what they had. Too many lies, too much deceit.

Too much to handle.

With a steady breath, Emma picked up the water bottle and headed back inside. She stared at her bare ring finger. Regina hadn't brought it up, but then again, the explanation was fairly obvious. Emma wasn't ready, at all. "You don't have to buy me a ring, Killian. I can wait until the wedding, ok?"

And no matter how many times she lied to herself, her Regina would see through all of it.

Especially through the cheesy smile she plastered on her face as she joined her own engagement party.


	2. Chapter 2

**Five Years Earlier**

"I need to get laid."

Emma nearly spat out her latte, looking over at her best friend incredulously. Ruby shrugged, "What? I _do._ 18 and still a virgin. It sounds like the title of a really bad comedy, for fuck's sake."

The blonde snorted, looking back down at her magazine. "I'd watch it."

"Haha, very funny, Swan." Ruby lapsed into a sullen silence, and Emma could feel her eyes on her. She didn't have to wait long. "At least _you've_ had some action. I'm probably gonna die in Granny's house with her five dogs."

"Hey, they're adorable!"

Ruby scoffed, "Adorable gets annoying real quick." She sighed. "Granny's protective and everything, I _know_ that. It's just that I wish she'd let me have my own life, you know?"

Emma sipped her coffee thoughtfully, "Maybe she's doing the right thing. People are assholes, Ruby."

" _Still._ I mean, the whole thing with you and Neal proves that." Emma flinched, subtle but completely noticeable. Ruby winced. "Shit, I'm sorry. Too soon?"

The blonde tried to shrug it off, chuckling weakly. "It's ok." Ruby leaned forward, placing her hand on Emma's shoulder and squeezing comfortingly. Her smile was warm, both kind and playful. Emma found herself smiling half-heartedly back.

"Babe, me and you are going out. One: so I can finally have sex. And two: so you can finally forget about The-Asshole-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. You game?" Emma bit her lip, avoiding her best friend's hopeful gaze.

"Ruby, I don't know-"

"It'll be good for both of us, I promise." Her eyes sparkled with mischief. Emma knew her answer probably wasn't going to have an impact on Ruby's decision whatsoever.

"I'm not-"

"That's a yes! I'll text you a time and place!" She quickly got up, ignoring Emma's protests with a grin, yelling "I love you!" on the way out of the coffee shop. Emma rolled her eyes, sinking back into her chair. She looked over at Ruby's abandoned coffee: her usual mocha. With a sigh, she took it, drinking with ease until the brunette's words found their way back to her.

_The whole thing with you and Neal proves that._

Fucking hell, _Neal._ She'd tried not to think about him for weeks, and yet stupid little reminders kept throwing themselves in her face. The fountain in Central Park, cocoa with cinnamon, those _tacky_ metal swan keychains at the front of the local convenience store… Ruby's slip up today. It was like he was inescapable.

In vain, Emma tried to get back to reading her magazine - why was she even reading ELLE, again? She didn't even care about fashion - but the words just seemed to run away from her. _Not the only thing that did._ Shut the fuck up.

With one last angry sip, Emma collected Ruby's mocha (now hers) and walked out of the shop. It was so stupid how _one_ comment on one insignificant person could completely mess her up. And not in the good way.

"Jesus Christ." she muttered to herself, forcefully trying to think of other things, _worthwhile_ things: Ingrid's oreo ice cream, Scarlett Johansson, her mum's upcoming birthday, not some prick that made her feel like she was worth the whole world before his _girlfriend_ caught them making out in Central Park…

_Fuck._

A little bit of fun, he'd tried to tell her. Something to distract him from all the responsible shit in his life. _An adventure, Emma. You understand, right?_ He'd promised her that if she just waited, they could make it work. Make it something more.

And then he moved away with his girlfriend (Talia, Tamara? Emma didn't even know.) and never spoke to her again.

Just thinking about it made Emma's breath catch, her throat tighten, as she crossed the road. _People are assholes._ She was much better off as a single, independent woman where the only person that could mess up anything in her life was _her._

Then again, she _was_ living in her parents' house, working in ASDA. The money was ok?

Emma was walking back to her house before she knew it, as she always did when stressed. Her parents were good listeners, fiercely protective (her dad _was_ a cop) and always there for her when she needed it. The day Neal left her, she'd come home crying and her parents had held her to them, all three hugging on the couch for hours. The memory made her eyes wet.

Putting on a bright smile, she opened the door and her mum was sat in the armchair in the living room, where she usually was now. 4 months pregnant, and happy as ever was Mary Margaret. She turned her head and smiled at Emma, glowing, "How's Ruby?"

"Bored." Emma replied, shutting the door behind her, "Restless. The usual."

"What's the matter now then?" Her mum chuckled softly. She loved Ruby like she was part of the family, which she practically was in everyway that mattered.

"She wants freedom." Emma dramatically said, falling back into a chair and sighing loudly, "She wants to escape her oh-so-terrible imprisonment and _live."_

"Beverly only wants what's best for her." Mary Margaret said fondly, "Perhaps if she started off slow, one step at a time kind of thing."

"She wants to go out tonight, though. I doubt Bev is gonna let her off so soon."

"Oh, where to?" _Ding._ Speak of the devil.

Emma read the text and grimaced. " _The Wolf_ , apparently." Her mum raised an eyebrow.

"That nightclub down near Stratton Street?" Stratton Street being the shadiest place in New York.

"That's the one." Emma rolled her eyes. "I am _not_ going there."

"Well you need a night out, Em. After… everything." The blonde looked up quickly, saw her mum's pitying face, and flushed.

"Not you too, Mum! I'm not all mopey about… him, anymore! I'm fine!" When Mary Margaret's face didn't change, she sank lower into the chair, avoiding her gaze, "It's just that, I don't know, I need some space. Time for myself."

"Emma, no one's asking you to find someone new. But seeing you walking around everywhere, as upset as you have been, has upset me too." Emma opened her mouth to speak but her mum cut her off, "I just want to you go out and enjoy yourself. Ok?"

She bit her lip, unsure, looking from Ruby's text to her mum's encouraging smile. Quietly she said, "Fine, I will."

"Thank god." They both laughed, but Emma's hands still shook slightly while texting back Ruby: _Fine, I'm persuaded. I'll be there at 9 xx_

It's not that she missed Neal, that was for the thing. It was just the sense of betrayal she'd felt, how useless and worthless she'd been in the whole situation. Emma had opened up herself to him, in an all manner of ways, only to find out that she'd meant nothing in the end. It took a lot for her to bring down her walls and because of Neal, they'd been built back up extra thick.

She highly doubted that a night out could bring them down but she could only wait and see after all.

Her phone _dinged_ again. _YESSSS BABE, I'LL SEE YOU THERE XX_

Emma managed a smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So far, so good... hopefully? ':D 
> 
> Ruby is definitely going to be a big character, and I'm really excited to get started with her storyline (and ofc our main couple who might just be meeting next chapter ;) ) 
> 
> I've used Beverly Elliot's name for Granny's so I hope that didn't confuse anyone! 
> 
> Neal will NOT be a big character, if returning at all (haven't decided yet), so SwanFire will stay a previous relationship and nothing more. And ofc, Emma is bisexual in this story, not sure if that should change anyone's thoughts, but yeah she is :) 
> 
> I'm planning to update about 1,000 words a week, which I know is barely anything compared to some writers but it's all I can fit in right now, so sorry! x

**Author's Note:**

> This is originally just a one-shot, but I've been feeling really inspired to continue it lately. Maybe starting with a rewind of about 5 years to the beginning of their relationship to present day? Leave a comment if you want this continued! ;)


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